Pixar to the Max

I think I am the only person in the country who didn't like UP.

It was a CUTE movie... Russell was an adorable little animated character. The story itself was very touching, and the balloon idea was great, I loved Kevin....
I sure wish it wasn't Pixar that did it, though. I give Pixar the greatest respect for making FUN movies. This movie was not fun. Fredericksen's wife's death at the beginning totally put the entire movie into this sad rut that I just could not get over. I saw every character as a victim to be pitied, and so I never ever smiled for the whole movie. Pixar movies are supposed to make you smile! What's wrong with this picture? Where is the light and color that I simply loved in Finding Nemo and even the Incredibles? It's missing the vibrant life that I love. But maybe that just comes with the territory of writing a story about an old man.
I don't like Pixar people-movies. They're not as interesting to watch as animated cars, rats, bugs, robots, or monsters. I find the human beings to be the low points of every pixar movie.
Another thing: The dogs annoyed me. They were pointless and silly and seemed like creativity's final gasp before dying. If you want dogs, make a dog movie. Don't just throw them in to what may have been a somewhat believable and understandable plot.

SSSSOOOOO...
Now that I have seen all Pixar movies currently in existence, I wish to rank them. Least favorite to first. One thing though: PLEASE don't think that I HATE any of these movies. I don't. They are all very good, high-quality movies that teach good lessons and fully entertain me. But there's always going to be a favorite, and here are mine:

10. Monsters Inc. -- Note that I have only seen this movie twice, which may have an effect on how much I appreciate it. The thing everyone loves about this movie is Boo, but little kids just do not make me ooh and aah like with everyone else. The movie was funny, but I felt like the plot was a little drag and I got a little annoyed with Mike's voice after a while. I also see little that I can take away from this movie. My favorite part was Mrs. Flint. You will find I get quite taken with memorable characters like her.

9. Up -- See above. Not as fun as I expected. The characters were very lovable, but not for the reasons I wished them to be.

8. The Incredibles -- Many of my friends think this is blasphemy. But I will repeat again that I get a little tired of Pixar people. This movie was ENTIRELY human beings. None of them had lips, except Edna, who was my favorite part. I could watch that entire movie just to see her. Superheroes, of course, make for a somewhat predictable, yet still entertaining plot. The music was excellent -- although not as good as Finding Nemo, in my opinion. What I really like about this movie is the emphasis they put on the importance of family, sacrifice, and communication. Those are important values that I think the world is beginning to discard.

7. Toy Story 2 -- Pretty good for a sequel. They maintained characters very well, and the new ones they added were good ones. But you sometimes get tired of the same Toys over and over again and it gets boring. I call this "sequel syndrome." I can only get so much of Woody and Buzz and the gang, so I worry about the third Toy Story that's coming out. Furthermore, there wasn't as much moral groundwork on this one, which was what I really appreciated about the first Toy Story.

6. Toy Story -- First off, Randy Newman's music makes the movie. I love it so much. And the toy concept works VERY well for a Pixar film, especially in its beginning stages. Characters were very toy-like, which impressed me. The plot was wonderful! It's a journey of self-understanding on a very childlike level. Plus, this one's a classic. The first. I quite like that.

5. Wall-E -- I feel like this one should be higher on the list because it is, I think, the most sincere. While the subject matter is incredibly BLATANT (that annoys me), I find myself wholly entertained besides the fact. Only a true genius could create that kind of balance between a sound focus on issues and a fun little story. Wall-E is a robot, but they do so well on his character, we begin to regard him as a human. That is masterful! The love story with Eve is touching for me. Two very different people.. I mean robots.. share this link that is beautiful. It's a beauty and the beast story.

4. A Bug's Life -- SUCH a good movie. I love the color!! Everything is green and purple and blue and it's just a work of art on a screen. This movie is also legitimately funny and quotable. There's a character for every type of person here. The plot is original, too, but bugs are hard things to write movies about. But the smallness and insignificance of them helps add to the great ideal that you can make a difference, even if you are small. The only problem I have with this movie is that my younger brother was obsessed with it and watched it over and over until I could recite the entire movie by memory.

3. Cars -- I find it absolutely incredible that I can look at a car -- a CAR -- and see a person. How do Pixar animators do it? They get it down to the mustache on Shick, Sally's pinstripe tramp stamp, and of course Mater's huge teeth. Characters are created out of CARS!!! CARS!!!??? Amazing. And it's all so colorful! Furthermore, it also teaches a great lesson: You can never do it alone.
I also have done some reasearch about Route 66 and found that the Pixar production crew REALLY took the time to learn about the culture of Historic 66. Many of the people along the way became inspirations for some of the characters. That is really neat. The time they took to learn about what they were filming makes the movie all that more meaningful.

2. Finding Nemo -- THIS is how you present deep topics to young audiences. Nemo is without a mother. He's handicapped. He has an over-protective father. These are all hot topics in the domestic world right now. But he is a fish -- not a human being -- so it doesn't hit so close to home to close people like me off. I love it when Pixar uses color, and this is the color crown jewel of the whole collection. The music is tear-jerking. I remember how desperately Marlin is trying to get out of the whale, and the music behind his cries just pull at my heartstrings. I learned a great lesson from this movie: We cannot control everything. Some things are just not predictable, and they shouldn't be. Dory is a great character, but she is just the beginning of the great depth this movie possesses. I will never get tired of this movie.

1. Ratatouille -- I laugh, I cry, I think, I don't think -- all in an hour and a half of Parisian rodentia. That takes some serious talent on a filmmaker's part. I think the plot is very very creative. How often do you think a movie proposal about a rat connoseur comes to the table and is actually taken seriously? And if I can think of anything to describe the way this movie was made, I would say it was taken very seriously. There is a deep meaning behind it that has layers and levels for different people with different levels of understanding. It teaches people to be themselves, to find what they value, and to make a difference. Everyone has a talent and a gift, and with bravery and work, dream can become realities. It also establishes the value of family and honesty and trust. So many good things in this movie. The Parisian setting is so delightful. The accents, the music, it creates a lovely mood. And come on, this movie is about FOOD. How can you not love it?
You know now that I don't like Pixar-people movies, but I must say that the animation of the people in this movie was much more unique and tangible than in Incredibles. They weren's so symmetrical and perfect. Colette is the best example of that. She looks real -- well, as real as Pixar has gotten so far. Linguini looks awkward. Skinner and Ego are great charicatures that are obviously larger than life. In the meantime, the rats possess enough human qualities to make them actually seem human. Remmy is adorable, too. Kids don't make giddy, but rats do. Something must be wrong with me.